Alex: The Morning After

Ask and you shall receive!  Also, I'm working on a Liv bonus post too.  No promises, but I hope to get it up on Sunday for you guys.  I hope all my US readers had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
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"Does Lauren get a lot of headaches?" my mom asked curiously, once Lauren was upstairs.  "She didn't look well at all."

"She gets migraines every once in awhile," I replied.  And she might also sometimes fakes migraines to get out of things she doesn't want to do, I added bitterly in my head.  I immediately felt guilty for even thinking that she might be faking her headache, but I also knew she didn't like hanging out with my parents.

"Well, I hope that she can get some sleep and that she feels better in the morning.  It would be such a shame for her to not feel well on your last full day here."  My mom's irritation at us from the day before seemed to be gone and she sounded sincere.  I nodded and followed her into the living room where my dad was sitting.

The rest of our evening was really nice, actually.  It was good to catch up with my parents a little, and honestly I was a little relieved to not have to worry about Lauren being uncomfortable.

I went up to bed around 11, trying to slip quietly into our room so I didn't wake Lauren up.  I was surprised to find her still awake, and in a nasty mood to boot.  What followed was easily the worst argument we'd ever had, and in addition to being mad at the things she was saying, I was embarrassed that she was acting like such a brat at my parents' house.  Luckily, once I ended the conversation, it didn't take me long to fall asleep.

When I woke up, I wasn't angry anymore.  Instead, I felt anxious.  I knew Lauren would still be angry when she woke up.  I hated fighting with her, and fighting with her about my family was even worse.  I slipped carefully out of bed, hoping to avoid the inevitable conflict for as long as possible.

"Good morning, sweetheart," my mom greeted me warmly when I walked into the kitchen.  She poured me a cup of coffee and I yawned as I sat down at the kitchen table.

"Morning," I replied.  I gratefully accepted the coffee when she handed it to me.  She sat down and regarded me carefully.

"Weren't Henry and Carolyn just lovely?" she asked, after I had taken a sip of the coffee.  

"Yeah, they were nice," I agreed.  

"Carolyn is so beautiful," she said wistfully.  She looked at me expectantly, but I didn't reply.  "Don't you think?" she prodded.

"She's certainly not ugly," I said carefully.  

My mom smiled. "Lauren is pretty, of course, but she's a little plain."

"What?" I asked, surprised.  

"The blonde hair and brown eye thing is so overdone," my mom complained.  "Carolyn's beauty is unique."

"Lauren is gorgeous," I protested.  I had no idea what else to say.  

"And Carolyn is so smart," my mom continued, not paying any attention to me.  "A pediatric oncology nurse...can you imagine?"

"Lauren is an engineer," I said defensively.  I suddenly felt possessed to defend the hell out of Lauren.  I also got the terrible feeling that Lauren had been right last night.

"But does that really help people?" my mom asked disdainfully.

"Of course it does," I replied.  "She--"

"And Carolyn comes from such a nice, upstanding family," she interrupted.  "Henry is widowed, can you even believe it?  How terrible."

"Is there a problem with Lauren's family?" I asked, agitated.  

"Well, I mean, her parents were never even married," my mom said with distaste.  "It's just no wonder she's turned out the way she is."

"The way she is?" I parroted.  "You need to stop.  I love Lauren, and I don't appreciate this bullshit."

"Watch your mouth, Alexander," she cautioned me.  "Do you really want to marry someone that hasn't had a good marriage modeled for her?  That poor girl probably learned from her mother than she should be independent and make her own decisions without regard to what other people think.  She'll never be able to see you as an equal.  She's already a bit too bossy, don't you think?"

"No!" I exclaimed.  "I don't!  You're right though--Lauren is independent and doesn't care what other people think.  And I like that about her.  This is fucked.  I'm not going to sit and let you insult my girlfriend and her family.  I love her, and she's right upstairs, for fuck's sake."

My mom frowned.  "Don't you talk to me like that."  

"Then stop disrespecting Lauren."

"Look, Alex," my mom said, her voice suddenly kind again.  "I just want you to be happy."

"I am happy!" I snapped.  "I plan to spend the rest of my life with Lauren, whether you like it or not.  If you'd stop being so goddamned snobby for 5 seconds, you'd realize that Lauren is everything I've ever wanted.  But you don't give a shit about what I want; you just want me to marry someone that will make you look good!"

"You're so dramatic," my mom replied, rolling her eyes.  "Of course I want you to be happy, sweetheart.  But I think you'll be so much happier with someone like Carolyn, don't you?  Carolyn would never emasculate you."

"No!" I yell, standing up.  "I don't think I'll be so much happier with someone like Carolyn!  I'm happy, and I might have fucked it up by trusting you over her.  She knew exactly what you were doing.  I can't believe this.  And Lauren doesn't emasculate me...Jesus."

"You're being ridiculous," my mom said.  "Would you sit down?"

"What's going on?" my dad asked, appearing in the doorway.  

"Your son is being dramatic," my mom replied, standing to get him some coffee.

"Your wife is being a bitch," I say coolly.  

Both of my parents' heads snap towards me and my dad frowns angrily.  "Don't you talk about your mother like that," he said.

"I won't," I replied.  "I'm going to go upstairs, pack my shit, wake up my girlfriend, and leave.  I can't even look at you guys right now.  Stay the hell out of my way."  With that, I stormed upstairs.  I stopped outside the door to the guest room to collect myself before I woke Lauren up.  When I felt a little calmer, I quietly opened the door.

Lauren didn't stir, so I took a few minutes to pack my stuff up.  Then I looked over at her suitcase.  It looked like it had exploded, even though we'd only be here for 36 hours.  I carefully folded all her clothes and tucked them back into the suitcase, then went into the bathroom and gathered my stuff and the stuff I was sure was hers.

Finally, I sat carefully on the edge of the bed and stroked Lauren's hair.  She stirred but didn't wake up.  I carefully pushed a few stray pieces out of her face.  The brief smile that flitted across her lips gave me hope, but as soon as her eyes opened it went away.  I talked fast, hoping she'd at least hear what I had to say before she went off on me.

I gave her some space to get ready, and I could tell she was still mad.  My parents were nowhere to be seen as we walked down the stairs and outside, and I was relieved.  I wanted nothing to do with them right now, and I definitely didn't want to subject Lauren to them at this moment.

Lauren was silent the entire drive and all the way to our room.  Finally, when I couldn't stand the silence anymore, I said, "You're still angry."  I'm not a big enough idiot to ask her what was wrong or if she was okay.  I knew damn well that she was not okay and what was wrong.

Her calm, thoughtful response scares me.  As much as I hate how Lauren fights, I at least know what to expect and how to navigate it.  I have no idea what to do with this suddenly rational woman in front of me.  It's out of the ordinary and it makes me worry about our relationship for the first time since Logan's text popped up on her phone.  Even so, I quickly agree to give her the space she needs.  If this is a new thing she's trying out, I want to encourage it.

I leave the hotel and wander around downtown Savannah, looking for a place to get something to eat and some more coffee.  I finally found a place where I didn't feel like an idiot by myself.  It was hipster as hell, but they had some really amazing French toast and excellent coffee.  I took my time, trying to not play out possible conversations with Lauren in my head.  When I finished, I wandered around some more.  I went into a few random shops to procrastinate a little more and finally stopped at a little cafe where I grabbed some breakfast and coffee for Lauren.

Finally, I headed back towards the hotel, ready to try to fix this disaster.